This invention relates generally to winches and, more particularly, to a winch assembly that may be connected to a rear portion of a farm type tractor and operated without disconnecting an implement or accessory already coupled to the tractor.
A common situation for a tractor user is to get stuck in the mud while using a tractor accessory or implement in a field. This situation usually requires that the user walk a considerable distance back to house, barn, or vehicle to retrieve a winch that may be used to pull the tractor out of the mud. In fact, the user typically must bring another tractor or vehicle back to the site for use in pulling the stuck tractor out of the mud.
Various winch assemblies are known in the art for attachment and use with vehicles and tractors. Although assumably effective for their intended purposes, existing winch assemblies do not connect directly to the rear of a tractor for operation by the tractor""s power take off (xe2x80x9cPTOxe2x80x9d) and without requiring the tractor accessory or implement to be uncoupled from the tractor.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a winch assembly that may be mounted for use to the rear portion of a tractor without obstructing connection of a tractor accessory to the tractor""s three point hitch or drawbar hitch. Further, it is desirable to have a winch assembly that may be mounted for storage at a location on the tractor displaced from the rear portion. In addition, it is desirable to have a winch assembly that may be coupled to and driven by the tractor""s PTO without uncoupling an accessory or implement that is already coupled to the tractor.
Accordingly, the present invention includes a winch assembly for use with a tractor of a type having a power take off (xe2x80x9cPTOxe2x80x9d) and a three point or drawbar hitch mounted to a rear portion of the tractor. The winch assembly includes a winch framework having a winch frame releasably attached to a mounting frame. The mounting frame may be coupled to upper and side brackets that are already mounted to the tractor for use with respective arms of a three point hitch. While the mounting frame may be releasably connected to these tractor brackets, it is expected that the mounting frame will remain attached thereto even when the winch frame itself is disconnected for storage purposes. A winch having a cable-reel with gear linkage is mounted within the winch frame, the gear linkage including a PTO connector for connection to the tractor""s PTO. The winch frame is releasably coupled to the mounting frame when use of the winch is needed. The entire winch framework is configured so as not to interfere with or obstruct the connection between the tractor accessory and the three point or drawbar hitch to which the accessory is coupled. However, the accessory driveshaft must be uncoupled from the PTO so that the winch assembly PTO connector may be coupled to the PTO.
In use, a free end of a cable that may be wound about the cable-reel includes a fastener and may be attached to an object spaced from the tractor, e.g. a tree. Then, the cable-reel may retract the cable upon operation of the tractor""s PTO so as to pull the tractor toward the spaced object. When use of the winch is no longer needed, the PTO connector may be disengaged from the PTO and the winch frame may be released from the mounting frame and stored elsewhere on the tractor. When the accessory driveshaft is again coupled to the PTO, the tractor user is once again ready to continue using the accessory.
Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a winch assembly that may be releasably coupled to a rear portion of a tractor without interfering with or obstructing a connection between a tractor implement or accessory and the three point or drawbar hitch to which it is coupled.
Another object of this invention is to provide a winch assembly, as aforesaid, which may be connected to a tractor""s PTO and operated thereby without uncoupling a tractor accessory from its connection to a tractor""s hitch.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a winch assembly, as aforesaid, which may be mounted for storage at another location on the tractor when not in use.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a winch assembly, as aforesaid, which may be operatively connected to a tractor""s PTO when an accessory""s driveshaft is disconnected from the PTO.
A further object of this invention is to provide a winch assembly, as aforesaid, in which the winch frame may be oriented horizontally or vertically relative to the mounting frame such that the winch cable may be extended or retracted from a desired configuration.